The Train Has Left The Station

Is it the crappy economy, or is the evaporation of document review work the result of outsourcing? If outsourcing is the answer, don't expect these jobs to come back anytime soon.

"Boston-based Forrester Research estimates the current value of legal work shipped overseas at $80 million; that amount is expected to grow to $4 billion in India alone by 2015."

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/tusker-group-grows-increased-legal/story.aspx?guid=%7B08BEA988-5D8E-45E7-8356-14DA270ABA93%7D&dist=msr_1

Fight the Trolls

Tom, here is the link from the ABA article asking about this topic. They need our perspective. too many comments about how "buyer beware" or "if you can't get a job your and idiot and don't deserve one" lets give them our POV. I hate the ABA.

http://www.abajournal.com/news/are_you_a_victim_of_an_education_hoax/#comments

The Law Professor Gravy Train May Be Coming To An End

Keep spreading the truth! From a blog commentor:

'Do you know that LSAT registrations are flat to down this year. That students' applications to law school are flat to down in a substantial number of law schools. That's never happened in a downturn in the economy before. They're catching on. Maybe this thing they are doing is not so valuable. Maybe the chance at being in the top 10% is not a good enough lottery shot in order to effectively spend $120,000 and see it blow up at the end of three years of law school.'

- Dean Richard Matasar

FINALLY, kids are starting to get the message that law school is just a scam for 90% of the class. No wonder we have the BLS and other law school trolls on all of the message boards."

http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2009/01/is-the-law-professor.html

Warning! Higher Education, A Hoax On The Middle Class

Interesting cover story this month in Forbes magazine. I am relieved that the mainstream media is finally getting it. Hopefully, some kids will take this article to heart and avoid becoming indentured servants to Sallie Mae the loan shark and those awful cockroach infested paper plantations.

“The two disillusioned attorneys were victims of an unfolding education hoax on the middle class that’s just as insidious, and nearly as sweeping, as the housing debacle. The ingredients are strikingly similar, too: Misguided easy-money policies that are encouraging the masses to go into debt; a self serving establishment trading in half-truths that exaggerate the value of its product; plus a Wall Street money machine dabbling in outright fraud as it foists unaffordable debt on the most vulnerable marks.”

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0202/060.html

$30,000 A Year Fake Shitlaw Position Flooded With 100 Resumes

A fake Craigslist entry-level attorney job listing has been floating around this week. I never posted it, because I knew it was obviously a flame.


"Associate Attorney (Midtown West)
Reply to: job-991754136@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2009-01-13, 5:41PM EST

Fast-paced 20-attorney law firm looking for an eager associate to join our growing practice. We understand that you may be a newly-admitted attorney looking for their first job. We also know that the economy is harsh right now. However, we are willing to give you a chance. Here are the details of this spectacular opportunity:

* Your salary will be $30,000 per year. We understand that this may be on the low end(since you probably are six figures in debt), but we will be able to give you unlimited opportunities for experience and you'll be making six-figures soon enough. On the other hand, we will bill our clients $300 for every hour of your work; at least you will know your work is valued by us in several ways.

* There is no health insurance, but we have an on-site 2nd year medical student who will abide by the upmost professional standards take care of any illnesses or injuries that occur, both on-site and off-site.

* You will be expected to work 12 hour days, six (6) days of week. You will be afforded 1 week of vacation time, and three (3) sick days. Your vacation time is limited to the months of January and February, as we will need you to be in the office while the partners are taking their time off in the summer. The good news is that you will earn vacation and sick pay as soon as you start. The only holidays that the Firm observes are Christmas and Thanksgiving, but you must work a half-day, as we are a busy and important firm who adheres to our clients' needs.

* Your bonus, if earned (by billing 2100 hours per year), will consist of a one-year membership to a "food-of-the-mouth" club of your choice. In 2008, every associate took advantage of this valuable program and has benefited greatly for their hard work and dedication.

Please email resume, cover letter, salary history, law school and college transcripts to the address above. We will also need you to take a drug test. All resumes and credentials will be held in strictest confidence."


Apparently, the prankster came forward today and confessed to Above the Law that he was the one behind the fake ad. What's striking is that the prankster says that he has been overwhelmingly flooded with resumes for the position.

"He received over 100 e-mails in response, some wanting to confirm it was a joke; others saying, "I think this is a joke, but just in case..." and attaching their resumes; as well as 10-15 straight applications, with cover letters and resumes. One resume included a J.D. from UPenn, claims the lister. (He says he deleted e-mails immediately, and did not retain personal information or salary histories.)

Times are bad, my friends. Two of the e-mails came from recruiting agencies: Strategic Legal Solutions (a serious agency) and Park Placements (we've never heard of them, and their website is under construction)."


http://abovethelaw.com/2009/01/funny_craigslist_job_listing_m.php#more

ATL Piece

Today, Above the Law did an interesting piece on contract attorneys:

http://abovethelaw.com/2009/01/contract_attorneys_good_work_i.php

One of the ATL commenters became nostalgic about his time in the Paul Weiss gulag:

"When I was a contract attorney for Paul Weiss (for only a few weeks prior to starting my 'real' job as an associate) about 4 years ago, I had to work SEVEN DAYS A WEEK...for about 12-14 hours a day. Because I wasn't admitted to the bar yet (admission was pending), I was only paid about $21/hour. They put us in a basement storage room that had roaches and made us share the same bathroom as the homeless people use in the subway concourse.

I woke up one morning covered in welt-like hives and went to the doctor. He told me that I was so upset and depressed about my job, that my stress was manifesting itself through hives. Holy shit my life sucked. Thank God I got 'fired' a few weeks into it and was able to land an interview (which lead to my real job) within 2 days of my firing.

Worst. Experience. Ever."

I was a little taken aback by yesterday's law.com piece, where certain agency heads were claiming that they were "sharing the burden" with contract attorneys in these difficult times. Perhaps, so. When times were good, however, weren't these many of the same people were shoving bodies into these substandard gulags, profiting off of them, and then dumping them overboard the minute anyone showed the slightest level of discontent?

Contract Lawyers: Cheaper By The Hour

"USE OF CONTRACT ATTORNEYS GROW, AS DO THE COMPLAINTS

Julie Kay / Staff reporter
January 12, 2009

A year or two ago, South Florida legal recruiter Abbe Mald Bunt was able to place attorney clients with new jobs "in a minute."

Now, she's referring most clients — primarily experienced associates who were laid off — to legal staffing agencies for "contract work."

"I'm just hoping they will get some viable employment," said Bunt, who said she is "flooded" with résumés these days.

Bunt is not alone. As law firms downsize, laid-off attorneys and new law school graduates unable to find jobs have been turning to an option they may never have imagined at law school: becoming contract attorneys — hired guns for $35 an hour."

Read the rest of Julie Kay's article here:

http://www.law.com/jsp/nlj/PubArticleNLJ.jsp?id=1202427338861

Unemployment

With no major projects to report upon (all the jobs have been moved to India), let's see what life is like in the unemployment office. Not good, apparently.

"Hi "Tom":

I was hoping you might start a conversation about people's experiences with unemployment now that a lot of us are unemployed.

I would like to report that when I recently filed for unemployment, I was awarded $280.00 per week based on the New York State Department of Labor not having accounted for more than half of my wages over the past year. I don't know if the fault lies with the government, or with the legal temporary staffing agencies not reporting my wages correctly and timely. I have appealed that decision to the Dept. of Labor by providing proof of income/wages from my paystubs. I am not sure how long it will be before the mistake is corrected and my unemployment increased to the proper amount.

To make things worse, today I find out that my last employer-- a temporary agency known as ------, is challenging my unemployment claim, claiming I was discharged as opposed to laid off due to lack of work. I just can't believe it!! My employment which was supposed to last about a week ended after three days because I had done such a good job for the client. Now, the person at the agency who filled out the form for the Dept. of Labor tells me that it is "not fair" for her company to have to pay for my unemployment insurance when I only worked about three days for them and that it is a lot of money for them to have to pay out. Has anyone else had this problem? Now that times are tough for everyone (employer and employee), is this what we should expect from the agencies who benefitted from our labor during good times? Needless to say, I am appalled and interested to hear if this has become common practice.

I would also like to hear about people's experiences trying to get through to the Department of Labor to get answers to their questions and with their claims being properly handled. Has anyone had difficulty applying for emergency extended benefits?"